The United States has temporarily paused and rescheduled some visa appointments at its embassies and consulates around the world as the Trump administration begins a global training programme for consular staff.
According to the US State Department, the training programme will take place at American diplomatic missions worldwide, resulting in some visa appointments to be rescheduled.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed the programme. However, officials did not provide details about how long the training would continue.
The training is designed to help consular officers carry out more consistent and detailed reviews of visa applicants.
One area of focus is identifying applicants likely to depend on US public benefits after entering the country.
Applicants receive appointment emails
Reports state that some people who already had interviews scheduled for immigrant visas have received emails from US embassies and consulates.
The messages informed applicants that their appointments were being rescheduled. They were also told that they would receive information about their new interview dates later.
The Trump administration has introduced several measures affecting immigration. These include visa and green card cancellations as well as the rejection of applications.
However, some of its policies have faced legal challenges.
On August 22, a US judge rejected an administration policy that had suspended immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries. The judge ruled that the policy went beyond the legal authority of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Additionally, Human rights groups argued that some policies are discriminatory and could affect freedom of expression and rights. They also raised concerns about possible racial profiling of some minority groups.
Trump made stopping illegal immigration a major promise during his 2024 presidential campaign.
However, his administration has also introduced changes affecting people seeking to enter the United States through legal immigration routes.
These measures include new and higher fees for certain work visa applicants.
Also read: US court rejects Trump’s immigrant visa suspension policy